THE largest fleet of aircraft to ever fly the length of the River Tyne will take to the skies this May.
Fly The Tyne, in aid of North East charity Streetwise and sponsored by intu, is returning for its second year and will see 100 microlights take to the sky for a spectacular display above the city on Saturday 26 May 2018.
The charity event is the brainchild of Mandy Coppin, CEO of Streetwise who is one of only a handful of female flexwing pilots in the country. As part of the event, Fly the Tyne is auctioning 15 exclusive seats to fly with the pilots and experience the North East from a completely different perspective. Seats are available to the top 15 bidders and are expected to be in high demand (bids are estimated to start at £500 per seat). All money raised will be donated to Streetwise, helping young people in the North East achieve their full potential.
Newcastle Air Traffic Control will safely navigate the 100 microlights (fixed, flexwing and gyrocopters) through their controlled airspace, with each pilot taking off from Eshott Airfield near Morpeth in 30 second intervals. The 110mile route will take each aircraft west towards Hallington Reservoir, then south towards Chester le Street, before flying low level over the Angel of the North. They will then head towards Newcastle city centre, and fly over the Tyne Bridge and down the River Tyne towards Tynemouth, then back north along the coast to land back at Eshott.
Mandy said: “Fly The Tyne made its debut in 2016, which saw 42 microlights take part in a flypass along the River Tyne, this year the event is expected to be even bigger and better with more than double taking to the sky.
“As a pilot myself, I’ll be volunteering to co-ordinate the fleet of pilots who have travelled from as far as Ireland to join us for this spectacular event.
“The aim of Fly The Tyne is to raise awareness and celebrate the thousands of young people from the North East who have changed their lives with the help of projects like Streetwise. Local young people often need support to overcome barriers to become amazing and resilient young adults, who then contribute to making the North East a great place to live and work.
“Many local businesses help support projects like Streetwise, and events like Fly The Tyne aid in shining a spotlight on their support and passion too. Flying with the pilots is a great opportunity to see your business, home and city from the air and really will be a once in a lifetime experience for those involved.”
Gavin Prior, regional centre director of intu Metrocentre and intu Eldon Square, said: “We’re delighted to support this spectacular event to raise vital funds for a wonderful charity that makes a real difference to the local community. Streetwise is dedicated to improving the quality of life for young people in the north east, empowering them to grow into strong, confident adults.
“It’s particularly rewarding to be involved with an organisation that shares so many of intu’s core values and we’re proud to have Streetwise as one of our charity partners for 2018. We’re sure this will be a day to remember for spectators and pilots alike – not to mention the 15 lucky people who get a front-row seat!”
Bidding for the seats starts at £500 and the top 15 pledges will be allocated a seat to fly with the fleet and make history. To make a flight ticket pledge to fly with the pilots, contact flythetyne@gmail.comto request a bidding form. The closing date for all bids is Saturday 19 May, with the top 15 bidders contacted on Sunday 20th May 2018.